Americans spend over 24 hours a week online, and nearly two-thirds of Americans own at least one IoT connected device (connected car, smart TV, fitness tracker, home control system or appliance, internet-enabled voice command, smart glasses, smart watch, VR headset, or wearable).
If your employees wear small, wearable devices powered by lithium batteries – such as body cameras – they are potentially at risk from burns or other injuries if the devices catch fire or explode. Those outcomes may occur if the batteries are defective or become damaged. There were more than 25,000 overheating or fire incidents involving lithium battery-powered consumer products over a recent five-year-period, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Despite all our best efforts and often those of the employees we train and advise - people have a problem with safety. It can be a hard topic to bring to life, and there’s a fine line between honesty and being accused of scaremongering.
Dropped tools and equipment are some of the deadliest hazards from working at height that often go overlooked. New developments and standards are bringing more focus to this hazard in general, but is your company maximizing the benefits of a dropped objects program?
The first 10 to 15 seconds after exposure to a hazardous substance, especially a corrosive substance, are critical. Delaying treatment for even a few seconds may cause serious, permanent injury.
For chemical exposures and splashes, you need more protection than the use of goggles, face shields and other PPE. Showers and eyewashes are a necessary backup in an emergency to minimize effects of chemical contamination.
For guidance, use the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) / International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) Z358.1-2014 emergency equipment standard.
Loud noises such as a backing semi-trailer or a fire alarm alert workers of impending danger. However, loud noises themselves can be dangerous, causing a host of immediate and long-term problems for employees and operations.
The safety industry continues to make strides in the materials and technology used to create cut-resistant gloves, sleeves, and clothing. PPE that used to be made of stiff fabric that trapped heat and moisture is now available in a variety of materials that are more comfortable with each new innovation.
Hand injuries in bolting are far too commonplace in heavy industry, but they can be avoided entirely by removing the pinch point -where hands and fingers are placed in harm's way- through eliminating the use of a reaction arm and backup wrench while performing bolting work.
Plan to join the International Glove Association (IGA) in Henderson, NV, near Las Vegas, this March to learn more about developments in workplace hand protection.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer’s re-classification of welding fume as a Class 1 carcinogen has emphasized the health risks welders face. Previously classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” welders should take every precaution possible to protect their health.